Aeroplane.



T. H. KBPPEL, R. F. KBPPE. & J. E. KEPPBL, JR. AEROPLANE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY zo, 1911,

Patented May 21, 1912.

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Patented May 21, 1912.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

T. H. KEPPEL, R. P. KEPPEL & J. E. KEPPEL, JB.

244. AIlHUNAU I IU AME T. H. KEPPEL, R. P. KBPIBL & J. E. KBPPEL, JE.

AEROPLABHEH APPLICATION FILED TUI-JY 20, 1911;

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L; i? 31,5 M: f5 M5 rf@ $1.2 5.1021 d SMH 5 1,026,677. Patented May 21, 1912.

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T. H. KEPPEL, R. F. KEPPEL 6: J. E. KEPPEL, Jn.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

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.ALROPIJABTIL APPLIUATION FILED JULY 20,-1911.

T. H. KEPPEL, R. P. KEPPEL & J. E. KEPPEL, JB. AEROPLANB.

JIPILIGIITION FILED JULY zo, 1911.

1,026,677. Patented May 21, 1912.

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'UNITE SATES PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS H. KEPPEL AND ROBERT F. KEPPEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND JESSE E. KEIPEL, JR., 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

AEROPLANE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 21, 1912.

Application led J'uly 20, 1911. Serial No. 639,529.

and ROBERT F. KEPPEL, residing in the city of St. Louis and'State of Missouri, and JESSE E. KEPPEL, J r., residing in Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, citizens of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in areoplanes.

The invention has for its general object to provide an aircraft of the heavier-thanair type which shall possess various features of novelty, both in construction and operation, combining to produce an aeroplane light and economical in construction, one that may be easily guided and controlled while in the air, and which will afford a high degree of safety in operation, or in the event the driving power should fail to work and it should become necessary to descend.

The invention may be stated to be briefly characterized by a cigar-shaped body forming the main support of the device, in which body is mounted the engine for driving the propeller, and which body is also provided with accommodations for seating one or more persons, Four wings or planes are employed in our device, two of these being located toward the front of the body and two toward the rear thereof, and being so mounted that they may be readily turned to change their position relative to the horizontal by mechanism within reach of the operator. At each end of the body a propeller is provided, these propellers being mounted on separate shafts and being separately driven, but provision being made for connecting their shafts so that they may be driven in unison.

A further characteristic feature of the inventionresides in the provision of means for driving the yieldably-mounted wheels of a truck supporting the aeroplane as a whole, from the propeller shaft, when it is desired to move the machine over the ground.

Various details of construction and combinations and operations of parts are within the purview of our invention, but these vwill be more readily understood from the detailed description of the construction and operation of the machine to follow.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan View of an aeroplane constructed according to our invention, the

' wings on one side being partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the truck for supporting the aeroplane and for propelling it over the ground; Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of our aeroplane, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness of illust-ration; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, on the same scale as Fig. 5, showing the two motors employed in driving our aeroplane, the driven shafts and clutch mechanism associated therewith; Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2, a portion of the frame-work being broken away; Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section on the linc 8 8 of Fig. 7 showing the gear mechanism at the forward end of the plane-actuating rods; Fig. 9 is a similar View showing the manner of supporting the rear ends of the actuating rods; Fig. l() is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the mechanism employed for operating the rear planes; Fig. 11 is a vertical transverse section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale; Fig. 12 is a view in front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the rudder; and Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Referring now to these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the main supporting body of the aeroplane, the same being substantially cigar-shaped and composed of strips 2, of wood or metal, spaced. a suitable distance apart, and connected to rings 3, located at suitable intervals throughout the length of the body and on the interior thereof. At opposite ends the strips 2 are connected to conical heads 4, 5. Extending through the head 5 at the rear of the body is a shaft 6, which terminates practically at the center of the body, and has secured on its outer end adjacent to the head 5 a propeller 7. Extending through the head 4, and also terminating at about the center of the body 1, is a shaft 8 which has secured on its outer end adjacent to the head 4 a propeller 9. Vithin the body 1 we mount a skeleton yoke-frame 10 which is formed of four bars of metal 11 positioned at right angles to each other, and converging at opposite ends where they are connected to sleeves 12 (Fig. 6) surrounding the shafts 6 and 8. The yoke-frame is braced from the body 1 in any suitable manner as by brace-rods 11a (F ig. 5). The sleeves 12 eX- tend through the respective heads 4 and 5, and have secured in their opposite ends bearings 13 for the shafts 6 and 8. A portion of one of said sleeves is shown in Fig. 6, and only one of the bearings 13 is shown, but it will be understood that the construction is duplicated both as to the outer end of the sleeve 12 where it passes through the head 4 and as to the provision of a similar sleeve for supporting the other end of the yoke-frame 10, and having in its ends bearings for the shaft 6. Secured on the inner end of the shaft 6, as by means of a set screw 14, is a thimble 15 affording an open end or socket for the reception of the shaft 8, and being provided with roller bearings 16 supporting the end of the shaft 8.

17 indicates a hollow conical member, forming one element of a friction clutch, and being rigidly secured on the shaft 3, as indicated at 18.

19 indicates the male member of said clutch, the same being made hollow to move over without engaging the thimble 15 and being keyed on the shaft G, as indicated at 20, so as to be capable of longitudinal movement on said shaft, while rotating with it, in the usual manner of such devices.

21 indicates a hanger secured on the upper member 11 of the yoke-frame 10, and having pivotally mounted in its lower end at 22 a lever 23 which is bifurcated at its lower end, as indicated at 24, to embrace the hub 25 of the clutch member 19, said hub having an annular groove 26 in which engage pins 27 provided in the lower ends of the bifurcated portion 24 of the lever 23.

28 indicates a rod for actuating the lever 23, and by throwing said lever in one direc` tion or the other the clutch member 19 may Loosely mounted on the shaft 8' cured a sprocket wheel 32, and a sprocket chain 33 is passed over the two sprocket wheels, whereby such clutch member may be driven from the motor 29. 34 indicates the movable member of this clutch, the same beingl keyed on the shaft 8 in a well-kno-wn manner, and being actuated by the lever 35 pivoted at 3G on a hanger 37 mounted on the yoke-frame 10, the lever 35 being actuated by a rod 38. Vhen the lever 35 is moved by the rod 38 to throw the clutch member 34 into engagement with the clutch member 30 the shaft 8 will be r0- tated, and when the members of the clutch are separated the clutch member 3() will rotate as an idler, without actuating the shaft 8.

39 indicates the motor for driving the shaft 6. Loosely mounted on the shaft G is one member 40 of a clutch, the other member 41 of which is keyed to the shaft in a well-known manner and adapted to be actuated by a lever 42 pivotally mounted at 43 on a hanger 44 supported on the yokeframe 10, the lever 42 being actuated by the rod 45. The idler member 40 of the clutch has secured thereon a sprocket wheel 46, the shaft of the motor 39 has mounted thereon a sprocket wheel 47, and a sprocket chain 48 is passed over these two sprocket wheels so that the shaft 6 may be driven from the motor 30 when the clutch members 40 and 41 are in engagement. Vhen these clutch members are disengaged the member 40 of the clutch will rotate as an idler on the shaft in the same manner as the clutch member 30 previously described.

At the forward end of the body 1 we provide two closely adjacent brace rings 49. Extending transversely through the body is a shaft 50 which passes through bearings 51 provided on opposite sides of the body and which are secured in position by having flange members 52 thereof secured to the brace rings 49. The construction at one side of the body is shown in Fig. 7. The numerals 53 indicate, respectively, the two forward planes, each of which is rigidly secured to a transverse shaft 54 which projects beyond opposite sides of the planes and the inner ends of which are removably secured to the outer ends of the shaft 50. At the rear of the machine a shaft 55, corresponding to the shaft 50, passes transversely through the body 1 and is supported at opposite sides of the body in bearings 56 which are secured in position by means of having flange members 57 thereof bolted or riveted to brace rings 58, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. The numerals 59 indicate, respectively, the rear planes of the machine, each of which is rigidly secured to` a shaft 60 extending transversely through the plane and projecting from opposite sides thereof, the inner ends of said shafts being removably secured to the outer ends of the shaft 55. The manner of removably securing the shafts 60 and 54 to the inner ends of the respective shafts 50 and 55 is the same, and is more clearly shown at the right of Fig. 1. This construction consists in providing the end of each shaft 60 with a socket member 61 which receives the opposite ends of the shaft 55 and are rigidly secured to the ends of said shaft by means of set screws 62.

Secured to the head 4 and projecting laterally therefrom are bracket-arms 63 which have at their extremities a pair of inwardlyextending guide-pins 64. Mounted on opposite sides of the body 1 are bracket-arms 65 on which are mounted inwardly-extending guide-pins 66.

The numerals 67 indicate rings which are connected to the inner ends of the planes 53 at a slight distance therefrom by means of brackets 68 which are connected to the planes, and also to the said rings at substantially diametrically opposite points of the latter.

69 (Figs. 4 and 7 indicates a brace-rod which, in the horizontal position of the planes 53, extends vertically from top to bottom of each of the rings 67 and is rsecured at its ends to the rings. Secured on each brace rod 69 is a sleeve 70, and connected to the sleeve 70, and extending at right angles thereto, is a similar sleeve 71 through which the shaft 50 extends and to which it is firmly connected. Each of the rings 67 is positioned to work between the respective sets of guide-pins 64 and 66, which prevent lateral displacement of said rings, and by turning the shaft 50 in the manner hereinafter to be described the brace rods, 69, which are rigidly connected to said shaft, and the rings 67 which are connected to said brace rods, will be turned, thereby turning also the planes 53 which are rigidly connected to the rings 67. This construction thoroughly braces the planes 53 and prevents all lateral displacement while permitting them to be easily turned to the desired position. The rear planes are braced by means of brace rods 72 which connect the outer ends of the shafts 54 and 60 of each pair of front and rear planes. The brace rods 69 are connected at their extremities by means of cross bars 73, and preferably are provided with eyelets at their opposite ends, as indicated at 74. The planes 53 are further supported and braced against horizontal displacement by means of sets of staywires 75 extending preferably from the outer end, the central portion and the inner end of each plane, and from the top and under side thereof, all of the wires on thev upper side of the plane `being connected to aI ring engaging in a hook of a turn-buckle 76, and the wires on the under side of each plane being connected in like manner to ai similar hook of a turn-buckle 77, the turnbuckles being in turn secured by a swivel in the eyelets of the brace rods 69, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

At the rear of the machine we provide on opposite sides of the body vertically-disposed brace rods 7 8 (Fig. 2) which are connected at their extremities by cross rods 79 (Fig. 1), only one of such cross rods (the upper one) being shown. The construction, however, as respects these brace rods is exactly the same as at the front of the machine, omitting the rings 67, and the rear planes 59 are supported and braced by wires 80 connected in like manner to the extremities of the vertical brace rods 78, as above described with reference to the connection of the stay-wires of the planes 53 to the extremities of the vertical rods 69. In like manner the vertical rods 7 8 have mounted thereon sleeves such as and 71 so that when the shaft 55 is turned the planes 59 may be correspondingly turned. As this construction is fully illustrated in Fig. 7 with reference to the shaft 50, and as the exact construction is duplicated in the rear of the machine with respect to the shaft 55, it is thought unnecessary to duplicate the illustration of such parts. Also the manner of bracing the rear planes 59 with staywires is exactly the same as illustrated in Fig. 4 with reference to the forward planes 53, and a more detailed description thereof is not considered necessary. It remains to be stated that with either pair of planes by screwing up the turn-buckles the wires may be tightened, and by unscrewing these turnbuckles and disengaging its hook from the rings to which the wires are connected, then removing the brace rods 72 and loosening the set screws 62, (Fig. 1) the planes may be removed from the body.

While not wishing to be limited to the precise construction of the body as shown we have found a convenient construction to be that illustrated, which comprises in each instance strips of metal or wood, 81, connected at their ends to form a rectangular frame, transverse stay-strips 82 extending from end to end of the planes and central stay-strip 83 extending from front to rear thereof. The plane as a whole, is covered preferably with substantially transparent sheet celluloid 84. Also the body 1 in its entirety is covered with sheet celluloid 84a except for a certain portion'at the center and in the bottom thereof to permit entrance of the operator, and also to provide ventilation. By covering the body 1 to form an inclosed body the operator is almost entirely protected from the blast of air when sailing, and by using a transparent covering for the planes and the rudder, the latter of which will be later referred to, the machine, as a whole, willbe almost invisible at any considerable elevation or distance from the observer, and this we regard as a very important feature in the use of the aeroplane for reconnoitering purposes, or similar work, in military operations.

)IVe will now describe in order the mechanism for actuating the front and rear planes to change their angles of inclination, referring particularly to Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10. Mounted on cross beams 85, and extending between the brace rings 49, is a bracket 8'6 forming a housing for a worm .gear 87 which is fixedly secured on the shaft 50, and also affording at opposite sides bearings 88 for said shaft. The base of the bracket 86 in connection with the frame members 85 also affords on opposite sides bearings for a short shaft 89 which is provided with a worm 90 in mesh with the worm gear 87. 91 indicates an actuating` rod which is connected to the short shaft- 89 by means of a universal joint as indicated at 92. 93 indicates vertical, and 94 transverse brace bars, which extend froln top to bottom and from side to side of the main body 1, and which are united at the center to a collar 95 through which the sleeve 12 and shaft 8 extend. Mounted on the brace bar 94 at one side of the vertical brace bar 93 is a bracket arm 96 which is provided with a bearing 97 at its lower end for the reception of the rod 91 which projects through the bearing and is provided on its inner end with a hand wheel 98. By turning the hand wheel 98 the actuating` rod will cause the shaft 89 to be turned and through the medium of the worm 90 and worm gear 87 the shaft 50 will be correspondingly rotated, and this shaft in turn will move the frame bars 69 and rings 67 to which the planes 53 are rigidly connected, and thus said planes may be readily moved to any desired inclination. The bracket 86, by means of having a bearing on the shaft 50 and being rigidly secured to the cross beams 85 will hold the worm gear 87 in fixed relation to the worm 90, and prevent relative displacement of these members irrespective of the movement of the machine as a whole, or of any strain to which the shaft 50 may be subjected, short of a breaking strain. On the opposite side of the vertical brace rods 93 to that just described we mount on the cross beams 85 a bracket 99 which forms on opposite sides a bearing for a shaft 100 on which is fixedly secured a gear wheel 101. 102 indicates the actuating rod for the rear planes, said rod being connected to the short shaft 100 by means of a universal joint as indicated at 103, and having at its lower end a hand wheel 104. At its lower end the actuating shaft 102 is supported in a bearing 105 provided in the lower end of a bracket arm 106, which in turn is mounted on the transverse brace bar 94. 107 indicates a shaft which at its forward end has a bearing in the sides of the bracket 99, and also in the cross beams 85, and has secured on said forward end a spur gear 108. Toward the rear of the machine, and extending between the brace rings 58, we provide transverse cross beams 109 to which are secured the legs of a bracket 110 corresponding to the bracket 86, the sides of which bracket and said cross beams form a bearing for the rear end of the shaft 107. Intermediate the cross beams 109 there is secured on the shaft 107 a worm 111 which is in mesh with a worm gear 112 mounted on the shaft 55, which latter shaft extends through bearings 113 provided on opposite sides of the bracket 110. By rotating the hand wheel 104 the gear wheel 101 will be actuated, the spur gear 108 will thereby rotate the shaft 107, which, in turn, through the worm 111 and worm gear 112, will rotate the shaft 55 which, through the medium of the frame composed of the bars 78 and 79 to which the shafts 60 of the rear planes 59 are rigidly connected, will cause said planes to be turned to the desired inclination.

Depending from the top of the body 1 are suitable hangers 114 which support a hori- Zontally-disposed bearing rod 115 (Fig. 5) o-n which are pivotally mounted the upper ends of a series of hand levers for actuating the respective rods 38, 28 and 45 (Fig. 6), and another rod later to be referred to. Of these the hand lever 116 is pivotally connected, as indicated at 117, to the rod 38, the lever 118 is in like manner pivotally connected to the rod 28,and the lever 119 to the rod 45. These hand levers, as well as the hand wheels 98 and 104, are within easy reach of the operator who occupies a seat adjacent thereto, as indicated at 120, (Figs. 2 and The truck for supporting the aeroplane on the ground and by means of which it may be propelled over the ground, comprises forward supports 121 and rear supports 122, and a'central brace frame 123. The front axle 124 is provided centrally with an upright pin which works through a head 125 and is surrounded by a coil spring 126. The forward supports 121 have their lower ends secured on a cross piece 127 which is secured on the head 125. In this way the weight of the aeroplane at the front is yieldably borne on the spring 126. The front wheels are pivotally mounted at the ends of the axle in the manner of an automobile, as indicated at 128, and their hubs are connected by a bar 129, which, in turn, is connected to a steering rod 130 (Fig. 2) by means of which the wheels may be turned to guide the machine over the ground. The rear axle 131 is mounted in the ends of rock-arms 132 which are pivotally supported intermedate their ends on kif-#h HLHUNHUIIUO Uu uiLuluu a cross shaft 133 mounted in bearings in the gagement the shaft 145 will be rotated, and lower ends of the rear supports 122. Each through the miter-gearing and sprocketof the rock-arins 132 has a forward upgearing described will rotate the rear axle wardly-projecting portion 134, and to this 131 and propel it over the ground.

5 projecting portion is connected one end of a Referring to Figs. 2, 5, 12 and 13, 160 in- 70 relatively long coiled spring 135, the other dicates the rudder which comprises two end of which is connected to a bracket 136 blades 161, located one above and the other secured on the frame 1, as more clearly below the body 1, and in vertical alinement, shown in Fig. 11.` In landing, the rear and mounted in opposite ends of a forked 1@ wheels are invariably made to strike the post 162. The blades 161 are formed of 75 ground first, and in the construction desuitable frames covered with transparent scribed the axle 131 with its wheels can rise sheet Celluloid. The post 162 is provided thereby moving the forward ends of the with a laterally-extending arm 163, to the rock-arms 132 downward against the reouter end of which is pivotally secured one sistance of the springs 135, the turned-up end of an actuating rod 164, the other end 80 portion 134 preventing said rock-arms from of which is pivotally connected to the lower digging into the ground should the impact end of a foot lever 165 (Fig. 5), which is or pressure `be sufficient to force said forpivotally mounted at 166 on a support 167 ward ends to the earth. This provision of mounted on a cross bar 168, which latter 2o a yieldingly-inounted rear axle will, of likewise serves as one of the supports for 85 course, tend to prevent jars and shocks the motor 29. The lpost 162 is centrally .when landing, and will thereby greatly proprovided with a circular enlargement 169 long the life of the machine. surrounding the shaft 6 at a distance there- In order to propel the machine over the from so as to permit the turning movement ground we provide the following meohaof the rudder, as will be understood, and as 90 nism: Secured on .the rear axle 131 is a clearly indicated in Fig. 13. This turning sprocket wheel 137. Rotatably mounted movement is eifected by the operator sitting on the cross shaft 133 is a sleeve 138 con- 011 the Seat 120, pushing the lever 165 outfined between collars 139 and having seward or drawing it inward, as the case may 3o cured thereon a sprocket wheel 140 and a be. The rudder post 1.62 is, of course, 95 ruiter-gear 14:1l A sprocket chain 142 is mounted in suitable bearings (not shown) passed over the sprocket wheels 137 and 140. at the upper and lower sides of the body 1. The rear supports 122 are connected by a In the operation of the device the shafts cross brace 143 on which is mounted a 6 and 8 may be driven separately, or by bearing 144 for an upright shaft 145, the throwing the clutch member 19 into opera- 100 lower end of which has mounted thereon a tion the shafts 6 and `8 may thereby be niiter-gear 146 in mesh with the ruiter-gear Coupled together and driven from motor 29 141. Toward the rear of the yoke-frame 10 0r 39. On first .leaving the ground the fora cross bar 147 extends from side to side of Ward planes will have their front ends the body 1, and mounted centrally of this slightly elevated, but after reaching the de- 105 Cross bar is a bearing 148 for the upper porsired altitude these planes may be brought tion of the shaft 145, said shaft being proto very nearly anhorizontal position and any vided at its upper end with a beveled gear variation in altitude may be more conven- 149, and being likewise supported in a beariently and expeditiously eected by manipuing 150 at the bottom of the body 1. 151 lating the rear planes. 110 (Fig. 6) indicates one member of a friction In Fig.. 2 we have shown by dotted lines clutch, said member being loosely mounted two positions of the front and rear planes. on the shaft 6 and being provided with a In one position the inner ends of the two beveled gear 152 in mesh with the beveled sets of planes are shown elevated, and this gear 149. The other member of the clutch is one of the positions which may be given 115 is indicated by 153, and is keyed on the shaft the planes in the event of an involuntary 6 in the usual manner, being adapted to be descent of the aeroplane. In such position moved 'into and out of frictional engagethe planes will act in the manner of a parament with the member 151 by the lever 154 chute and prevent a rapid descent of the mapivotally mounted at 155, on a bracket 156 chine, the air rushing out between the upper 12o depending from the upper member 11 of ends of the planes at the center, and allowthe yoke-frame 10, said lever 154 being ing a gradual descent to be eiected. In the adapted to be actuated by a rod 157, the inother position, the outer ends of both sets ner end of which rod is pivotally connected of planes are shown elevated and in such at 158, (Fig. 5) to the fourth hand lever position the two sets of planes present an 125 159, as shown. The clutch members 40 inclined surface t o the air in th-e downward and 41 being in engagement so that the fall of the machine, the air passing off at shaft 6 is being revolved, it will be seen that the ends ofthe planes. Either of such posiby actuating the rod 157 to throw the clutch tions described will permit a slow descent 3.5 members 151 and 153 into frictional en- 0f the aeroplane to be eifected, and it is 13o body, a propeller and motor mechanism for` thus possible Awith .our device to vprevent a dangerously rapidI descent should the motor stop working. v

`The manner of manipulating the planes, (")fguiding the machine, and of propelling it over theground has been made suiiiciently clear, it is thought, inV the course of the above description. It remains to state in a general way that an aeroplane constructed according to our `invention presents a well balanced machine, one that is thoroughly braced, so that, in effect, it presents a rigid structure, while at the same time the weight is extremely small in proportion to the strength of the structure. Ve have not thought it necessary to indicate in each case the material that is employed in the construction of the various arts described, for we wish it understood tiat where, for the purpose of strength, metal is desired we employ metal, and where wood will aord suflicient strength we employr wood in the interest of lightness of construction.

We claim:

1. An aeroplane embodying an elongated driving the same mounted thereon, a pair of rock-shafts located, respectively, toward the front and rear of said body, planesupporting frames secured to said'rock-shafts, pairs of planeslocated, respectively, at the front and rear of the body, the planes of each pair being on opposite sides of the body, respectively, each of said planes being detachably connected to the ends of the respective rock-shafts and having brace-wires extending from the tops and bottoms thereof, and detachably connected to opposite sides of said plane-supporting frames, and means for turning said rock-shafts to adjust the inclination of the planes.

2. An aeroplane embodying an elongated body, a propeller and motor mechanism for driving the same mounted thereon, rockshafts mounted, respectively, at opposite ends of the body, means for turning said shafts, a plane-supporting frame mounted on each end of the rock-shaft at the front of the machine and comprising a ring, guide-pins mounted on the body and embracing said rings at opposite sides thereof, a plane rigidly connected to each of said rings and having a transverse shaft connected to and forming a continuation of said rock-shaft, a pair of planes located, respectively, on opposite sides of the body at the rear thereof, each of said rear planes having a transverse shaft connected to and forming a continuation of said rear rockshaft, and brace rods connecting the outer ends of said transverse shafts.

3. An aeroplane embodying an elongated body, a propeller and motor mechanism for driving the same mounted thereon, planes pivotally mounted on the body at opposite sides thereof, means for turning said planes, and means for bracing the planes comprising a ring rigidly connected thereto, and guidegpins mounted on the body and embracing opposite sides of said ring.

4. An aeroplane embodying a body having adjustable planes mounted thereon, a pair of alining shafts mounted on said body, one of said shafts carrying a propeller at the front of the body and the other a propeller at the rear of the body, clutch mechanism for connecting or disconnecting said shafts at Will, a friction clutch mounted on each of said shafts, one member of each clutch being loose on the shaft, and the other member being keyed thereon, a pair of motors, driving connections between each motor and the loose member of the respective clutches, whereby the shafts when connected may be rotated as a whole from either of said motors by operating the appropriate clutch mechanism, and lever mechanism for operating independently the various clutches.

5. An aeroplane embodying a body having adjustable planes mounted thereon, a pair of alining and abutting shafts, one of which carries a propeller at the front of the machine, and the other a propeller at the rear of the machine, a socket member carried by one shaft and having roller bearings embracing the end of the opposite shaft, a friction clutch, one member of which is iiXedly secured near the abutting end of one shaft, and the other member of which is keyed on the other shaft, means for operating the movable member of the clutch to connect or disconnect said shafts at will, and motor driven mechanism controllably connected with each of said shafts.

6. In an aeroplane, in combination with an elongated frame, having propellers and means for driving the same mounted thereon, rock-shafts located, respectively, toward the front and rear of said frame, a plane {ixedly secured on the end of each of said rockshafts, means for rocking the forward shaft comprising a worm gear mounted thereon and a shaft mounted in said frame and having at one end a hand wheel and at the other end a worm in mesh with said gear, and means for rocking the rear rock-shaft comprising an actuating rod mounted in the frame and having a hand wheel at one end and provided at its other end with a gear wheel, a longitudinally-extending shaft mounted in said frame and having at one end a spur gear in mesh with said gear wheel and on its other end a worm, and a worm gear mounted on the rear rock-shaft and in mesh with said worm.

7. An aeroplane embodying a hollow in closed elongated body, propellers mounted, respectively, on the front and rear end of said body, motor mechanism for driving said set our hands in presence of two subscribing propellers, pairs of planes mounted, respec- Witnesses.

tively, toward the front and `rear of said THOMAS H. KEPPEL. body, the planes of each pair being located, ROBERT F. KEPPEL. 5 respectively, on opposite sides of the body, JESSE E. KEPPEL, JR.

means for varying theinclination of said /Vitnesses to the signatures of Thomas H. planes, a Vtwo-part rudder mounted on the and Robert F. Keppel:V

rear end of said body, one member of said BRUCE S. ELLIOTT, rudder being loca-ted above and the other `S' vziiL,LA1 -Trial". l

10 member below said body, and meanmswforace...y to the signature of Jesse E.

tuatng said ruddella..themearepropll'being Keppel, Jr.: loatedbeyond theI rear end of the rudder. DAVID M. CARSON, In testimony whereof, We have hereunto MARY E. GATES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

